Roach rockets into top 10 Test bowlers

Cricket365
September 10, 2014

Kemar Roach has broken into the top 10 of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers for the first time in his career after steering the West Indies to a 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first Test in Kingstown on Tuesday.

Roach earned 17 rating points for his match figures of five for 95, which moved him one place to 10th. However, it was Sulieman Benn who has gained the most.

The left-arm spinner was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, having returned match figures of seven for 83, for which he was rewarded with a jump of six places that put him in 24th position, his highest ranking to date.

Shannon Gabriel, the 26-year-old fast bowler from Trinidad, also showed improvement on the table. Following his three for 75 in the match, he climbed up six spots to occupy 60th place.

The rankings for Test Batsmen saw Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim and West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite on the charge.

Rahim followed up his 48 not out in the first innings with 116 that lifted him eight spots to 30th. He became the highest-ranked Bangladesh batsman, followed by Tamim Iqbal in 44th place.

Brathwaite scored 212 in the West Indies' first innings score of 484 for seven declared, which allowed him to vault 18 places to a career-high 48th position.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who scored 85 not out in his only innings, remained the highest-ranked batsman from either side, having moved up a spot to fifth. He trailed second-ranked AB de Villiers by 21 ratings points.

This meant he could move further up the order depending how he performed in the second Test, starting in St Lucia on Saturday.